Tag: Rituals

  • Reflections on Islam as we know it

    The more I learn and experience and the more I witness with my own eyes, the more I realise that Islam is not nearly as monolithic as many would like to believe it is. Far too often I come across many sahih ahadith (authentic narrations) that are seldom quoted when I see the raging debates…

  • Abouth those Islamic schools of thought

    Something just occurred to me regarding the argument against choosing at will between the rulings of the various schools of thought (or madhahib). I often hear people saying that it is wrong because we’re picking and choosing what suits us in Islam. E.g. choosing the Shafi view about the time of Asr and then choosing…

  • Sighting versus Calculating the New Moon

    the72sects: It might be a bit premature for a post like this given that Ramadaan is still a few months away, but this issue has been playing on my mind for a long time now. I was reminded about it again just now when I was delayed in my performance of my Dhuhr salaah, which…

  • Muslim vs. Mu’Min

    One thing that always annoys me about these endless debates about sects and madhabs is simply this…how much of what you’re debating has any impact on your Imaan? Given that the majority of Muslims are focused on the rituals of Islam and most don’t understand or appreciate the principles behind it, it’s easy to see…

  • Islam Is NOT a Cult!

    We’re so prone to deferring all questions or concerns about the interpretation or implementation of Islam in our lives to the scholars that we’re actively stifling any intellectual or meaningful engagement in the process. It’s as if we’ve been indoctrinated to believe that questioning the ‘elders’ is tantamount to disbelief! But in all this to-ing…

  • Rituals versus Principles

    When you practice the customs and rituals of Islam, you will grow closer to people. When you apply the principles of Islamic teachings in everything that you do, you will grow closer to Allah. These are just stray thoughts that occurred to me today. I noticed this in many different aspects of my life, especially…

  • toobaa: Our use of the phrase ‘The Dark Ages’ to cover the period from 699 to 1000 marks our undue concentration on Western Europe… From India to Spain, the brilliant civilisation of Islam flourished. What was lost to Christendom at this time was not lost to civilisation, but quite the contrary… —- Bertrand Russel, History of…

  • The day we question the sincerity, intention and motivation of our own leaders as much as we question this about the western nations, that is the day that the Ummah may arise from its slumber, Insha-Allah. Until then, we will continue to follow blindly, establish our identities ritualistically, and be oblivious to the principles and…